The 7:22 a.m. PDT Thursday tee time off No. 10 at the Genesis Open featured Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods. It clearly was the headline pairing of the morning.

While Thomas lived up to the billing with a 2-under 69 and Woods still showed signs of his nearly yearlong absence with a 72, McIlroy shockingly seemed out of sorts with a fundamental part of the game: putting (scores).

Golf is at a good place right now. The people who are so adamant about saying that we need to “grow the game” are the golf establishment, which will benefit and profit from adding new players.

When the economy is good, so is golf. It’s that simple. It’s an expensive game. To grow golf, make it cheaper. Get kids involved. Golf courses have to accept junior play and learn how to make it coexist with regular play. They are the future of golf.

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Number of consecutive birdies that LPGA rookie Jin Young Ko made to close out a 7-under 65 for the first-round lead in the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open at Kooyonga Golf Club in Adelaide. Ko, 22, who in October won the LPGA KEB-Hana Bank Championship, an event co-sanctioned by the Korean and U.S. tours, is looking for her second LPGA victory after nine triumphs in three-plus years on her home tour. South Korea’s Jiyai Shin was two strokes back (scores).

Pebble Beach Golf Links must have inspired Ted Potter Jr. He outplayed the world’s best golfers to win his second PGA Tour event, and first in six years. Bob Bubka and Jay Randolph discuss the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. With Tiger Woods on the prowl again, The Grill Room previews the Genesis Open. Feature interviews: The secret of Secret Golf, and “Mr. 59” Chip Beck talks about PitchFix. Groove Up! with Vertical Groove Golf rounds out the show.

ShoeTips will contribute its swing thoughts to the PGA Prestige at PGA West college tournament, which will be held next week at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif. ShoeTips has compiled a list of 18 swing thoughts, from which golfers can select one to be displayed atop each shoe as a reference during play.

Big Max has expanded its lineup of push carts to Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash., the British manufacturer announced. Chambers Bay, which played host to the 2015 U.S. Open, will use Big Max’s Fleet 333C model of three-wheeled carts.

Eleven courses affiliated with Troon have been selected to host local or subregional qualifiers for the 2019 Drive, Chip and Putt, the management company announced. The qualifiers will be held from June to August in advance of the national finals at Augusta National Golf Club on April 7, 2019, to start Masters week.

Bill Casper Golf and Morningstar Golf and Hospitality led a partnership group that has acquired Fox Hollow Golf Club in Branchburg, N.J., the new owners announced. Fox Hollow, which is semi-private, features a 6,371-yard, par-70 golf course.

The Annika Foundation, the charitable organization founded by World Golf Hall of Fame member Annika Sorenstam, has named Roberta Bowman to its board of directors. Bowman is a retired Duke Energy executive who recently served for six years on the LPGA’s board of directors.